"Erniu, what the hell is going on, did you drive the car and didn't look at the road, and almost hit someone else?" Xu Jin asked in a low voice.

Erniu scratched his head and said aggrievedly: "Master, it was this scholar who suddenly rushed out to block the way." ”

Xu Jin knew that Erniu was honest and would definitely not lie about it, so he lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, glanced at the scholar who was blocking the road, arched his hand and said politely: "This brother is invited, why did he stop the carriage?" ”

The scholar in front of him was about twenty-three or fourteen years old, wearing a square scarf, although he was wearing a thick one, his nose was still red from the cold, and he hugged his fists and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, I have to stop the car at the next step, can my brother do me a favor?" I can't thank you enough. ”

Xu Jin glanced up not far away and found that there were two other scholars sitting in the short pavilion on the side of the road for travelers to rest. Some luggage items were scattered nearby, and one of the bookcases (school bags) also had a banner cut out of yellow cloth inserted on it, which read: "I will try by order."

In ancient times, those who went to Beijing to take the exam, especially those who were in remote places, would generally find other lifters to rush together, make flags with yellow cloth, and write the words "will take the test by order" on them, and the thieves who robbed the road on the road generally would not touch them. Because there is usually not much oil and water on the body of the person who enters the Beijing meeting, and once something happens, the magistrate will strictly investigate it to the end, so the robbery of the person is really worth the loss.

Xu Jin couldn't help but move in his heart when he saw this banner of "being ordered to take the exam", these people who dared to take the exam in Beijing were probably trying to take their own hitchhike into Beijing, so he smiled: "Xu Jin in Shangrao County, Xiajiangxi, is also a move to Beijing to take the exam, what is this brother called?" How can you help? ”

The young scholar couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this, and arched his hand and said: "It turns out that Brother Xu is also a person who is rushing to take the exam, in Xia Liangkuan, a native of Shunde Mansion, Guangdong. The two of them in the pavilion are in the same year as the next villager, so please ask Brother Xu to take me and wait for a ride, and enter Tongzhou City. ”

This kind of effort, Xu Jin is naturally willing to help, and it is easy to walk with more friends, so he immediately nodded and said: "There is no need, but there are female dependents in the car, but I have to wronged you to take the car." ”

Liang Kuan's expression was a little unnatural, and he said, "That...... It's no problem, but when one of them is seriously ill in the same year, can Brother Xu vacate an empty car? ”

Xu Jinjian's eyebrows wrinkled imperceptibly, not that he minded that the other party had to make inches, but that this Liang Kuan was stubborn when he spoke, and his eyes were evasive, it was estimated that there were untruths in his words.

Xu Jin couldn't help but be vigilant, and said quietly: "Brother Liang, the carriage behind is already full of luggage, I'm afraid it will be difficult to make space." ”

Liang Kuan heard that he wanted to persuade Xu Jin to throw away some of his luggage, but he was embarrassed to say it, after all, everyone met in Pingshui, and this request was too much, so he wanted to stop talking.

At this moment, one of the scholars in the short pavilion stood up and was about to walk this way, when another scholar who was sitting next to him by the pillar fell limply, and his lifeless face was facing this way.

Dabao blurted out: "My mother, it turned out to be a dead person, bah blah, good luck, no taboos." ”

Xu Jin's face was slightly gloomy, and he turned around and wanted to board the carriage and leave.

Liang Kuan couldn't help but be anxious, and hurriedly said: "Brother Xu, slow down, Brother Xu...... Alas, it's not what you think, we're not bad guys. ”

At this time, another scholar rushed over and pleaded with a sad expression: "This brother Tai felt a cold on the way to Beijing to take the exam, and unfortunately died in a foreign land. In the next place, he only asked his brother to help transport his brother's body to Tongzhou City, so that he could return to his hometown. ”

Xu Jin paused when he heard this, and slowly turned around, Xiao Wan almost lost her life because of the wind chill not long ago, so she felt empathy for this, frowned and asked, "What the hell is going on?" You'd better tell each other directly, otherwise you can't help it. ”

It turned out that these three scholars were all from Guangdong, Liang Kuan was from Shunde, Guangdong, and the other two were from Guangzhou, Guangdong, named Li Ruisheng and Li Ruiwen, respectively, and they were brothers of the same clan.

The three of them set off from Guangzhou in early October, went north to the capital to catch the exam, changed boats and cars all the way, slept in the open air, and spent nearly two months to arrive in Jinling, and then continued north by boat from the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal.

Guangzhou is located in the coastal area of Lingnan, the weather is hot and humid all the year round, and the southern lifter came to the cold and dry north in vain and was naturally quite uncomfortable, Li Ruisheng, one of the three, felt the wind cold and fell ill when he entered the boundary of Shandong, and in addition, he may not adapt to the water and soil, and his condition is getting worse day by day, and when the ship passes Tianjin, he is seriously ill and dies in a foreign land.

During the Chinese New Year, the boatman was suspicious of carrying the dead man, and the other guests on the ship also had a lot of complaints, so the passenger ship docked before it arrived at Tongzhou Wharf, and would rather return the ship fee to Liang Kuan and Li Ruiwen to get off the ship and take care of it themselves.

Liang Kuan and Li Ruiwen had no choice but to carry the body of their fellow villager Li Ruisheng off the boat, and wanted to intercept the passing carriage next to the official road to Tongzhou City, but when those carts heard that they were going to pull the corpse, they immediately shook their heads and waved their hands to refuse, how unlucky it is to pull the corpse for the New Year!

Li Ruiwen and Liang Kuan were helpless, so they had to take turns carrying Li Ruisheng's body on foot, but the two weak scholars, still holding the luggage of three people, couldn't bear it after walking for a few miles.

In the end, Liang Kuan came up with an idea, pretending that Li Ruisheng was just seriously ill, and then intercepted the passing vehicles, but unfortunately the two really didn't have the talent to "flicker", and they were recognized at the beginning.

After listening to the bitter tears of the two, Xie Xiaowan and Yue'er in the car had sour noses. Xu Jin was naturally very sympathetic, and at the same time, he was secretly glad that Xiaowan had crossed over safely, it was a pity for this son named Li Ruisheng, and Li Ruiwen, as a brother of the same clan, naturally had to take care of the funeral affairs for the clan, and then help the coffin to return to his hometown, and it was impossible to participate in this session again.

Xu Jin sighed lightly and said, "Brother Liang, you should have said this directly from the beginning, Dabao, throw away all the pots and pans in the car behind you to make some space." ”

"Yes, sir!" Dabao readily agreed, but in his heart, the boss was unhappy, and he was not happy to change who was going to kill people for the New Year, it was too unlucky!

Liang Kuan and Li Ruiwen were both grateful and ashamed when they heard this, and the former said ashamedly: "Brother Xu is righteous, and he is really ...... Shameful! ”

"Brother Liang is also forced to be helpless, don't mind, Brother Li, let's mourn and change!" Xu Jin comforted.

Soon, Dabao unloaded the pots and pans and other items in the car, and immediately arrived in the capital, and these things were no longer needed. In addition, Xiao Wan and Yue'er took off the clothes on the car and packed them and hung them on the horse's back, if these personal items were put with the dead, they would not dare to wear them again.

Everything was packed up, Liang Kuan and Li Ruiwen carried Li Ruisheng's body into the carriage, and then everyone went to Tongzhou City together.

This place is only about ten miles away from Tongzhou City, so it took half an hour to arrive, and Xu Jin asked Dabao to drive the carriage to assist Liang and Li in buying and selling coffins and shrouds and other items, until everything was settled, Xu Jin said goodbye to Liang and Li and left.

Looking at the two carriages driving away, Liang Kuan couldn't help but sigh: "Hanzhang, Xu Ziqian is warm, we have to pay back this favor in the future." ”

Li Ruiwen nodded and said, "What Brother Huai Jin said is extremely true!" ”